To those of you who are curious about bread machines or already have a machine but rarely use it, this post is for you.

Everybody knows that I love to bake homemade bread from scratch. Using a bread machine it couldn’t be easier and it makes some fantastic bread! A bread machine combines convenience with flexibility. If you enjoy a fresh loaf of bread, but don’t have the time or space to bake from scratch, a bread machine is for you.

If you’ve tried to use a bread machine without success, consider that bread-making is a skill which usually improves with practice. Expect some failures in the beginning. However, I predict fewer fails with a bread machine than mixing by hand. Just don’t give up. Keep trying if you are just starting your home bread making adventures.

Or if you have never baked homemade bread before, and find the instructions a wee bit intimidating, I encourage you to try it. It may seem intimidating at first and the various steps do take a bit of time to learn, but overall, it is truly easy.

The simplest way to learn how to bake bread is to follow a basic recipe. Try Fast2eat Bread Recipes, they are kind of foolproof 😉 really easy and the loaves of bread are delicious. If you already have a bread machine collecting dust, get it out and try Fast2eat Foolproof Bread Recipes.

If you’ve been using your bread machine to bake bread you’ve no doubt discovered the range and breadth of great loaves of bread you can make. The aroma that this bread creates as it bakes is absolutely heavenly.

Bread machines enable people to enjoy the pleasure of freshly baked bread with less effort. The aroma and taste of fresh-baked bread is hard to match. Traditional homemade bread requires hours of preparation and hands-on attention from start to finish. A bread machine mixes, kneads, and bakes the dough. It is like a miniature oven that makes a single loaf of bread.

Like the instruments in an orchestra, the ingredients in basic bread are very simple: flour, sugar, salt, a liquid (such as water or milk), possibly a fat (such as butter or oil) and yeast. And, like each musical instrument, each ingredient performs a specific job, and each lends a special flavor to the final masterpiece. That’s why it’s important to use the right ingredients in exactly the right proportions to ensure you get the most delicious results!

Your bread maker can bake almost any kind of bread. Bread machines are really helpful and great appliances. However, sometimes all the cycles can be confusing and it’s difficult to know which one to use for a particular recipe.

This post will help you select the correct cycle if you are not following a Fast2eat Bread Recipe and your recipe doesn’t specify which one to use. It will also help understanding the most common bread machine cycles and settings which are explained here for quick reference.

This isn’t about making baking scary! It’s all part of the learning process. Although Fast2eat Bread Recipes are kind of foolproof 😉 difficulties may happen, therefore, let’s talk about common Bread Machine difficulties with possible solutions.

Finishing the crust, the special touch for Homemade Bread, that leaves it so yummy with a beautiful appearance!

Although glazes and toppings are often optional ingredients, that I usually omit, from sheer lack of time, they do add a boost of flavor and enhance the appearance of the bread. They add flavour, affect the look, taste, and crunch of the crust, provide an attractive finish on the bread, and add moisture.

Routine maintenance is actually fairly simple and should be done frequently. Maybe that’s why we’re sometimes tempted to neglect it. In fact, routine cleaning of the machine should occur after each new loaf is baked.

Here are some basic steps to routinely do to keep your bread machine baking at its best.

Bread machines are ultra-convenient, but those towering loaves that are the hallmark of the bread machine can sometimes be unwelcome. Some people don’t like it because of the shape when baked in a bread machine, or the holes in the bottom where the blades were, or they want dinner rolls or some kind of specialty shape so actually baking in a bread machine is not a choice.

Just so you know, I don’t work for any bread machine companies or receive any perks for talking about them.

*(“Long-term dietary intake of gluten was not associated with risk of coronary heart disease. However, the avoidance of gluten may result in reduced consumption of beneficial whole grains, which may affect cardiovascular risk. The promotion of gluten-free diets among people without celiac disease should not be encouraged.” Source: http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1892)

Once you make my recipes, I would love to see your creations, so please let me know! Leave a comment below, take a photo and tag it on your preferred Social Media with hashtag #Fast2eat.

All text and photographs on Fast2eat are copyright protected. You are welcome to share my recipes and photos through social media as long as you prominently link back to the original post. You do not need to ask my permission to link to content published here but you DO need my permission to publish my recipes and photos. Please do not use any material from this site without obtaining prior permission. If you’d like to post this recipe on your site, please link back to this post. And remember, when you adapt my recipe please acknowledge the source with “adapted from…” designating the source with the link of my recipe.

Thanks for reading and sharing.

Got a question and/or feedback?
Please leave a public comment here. That way, other readers will be able to see the answers to your question and/or will benefit from your feedback.
Scroll down and you will find the comment form. Comments are checked on a near-daily basis Monday through Friday and answered as soon as possible.
Please don’t email me with recipe questions or feedback. I can’t keep up with them! I look forward to hearing from you in the comments.

Disclosure: Fast2eat is an Amazon Affiliate, which simply means that if you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a very small commission at no additional cost to you! It will help me keep the blog operating with new Fast and easy recipes for you.

Everybody knows that I love to bake homemade bread from scratch. Using a bread machine it couldn’t be easier and it makes some fantastic bread! A bread machine combines convenience with flexibility. If you enjoy a fresh loaf of bread, but don’t have the time or space to bake from scratch, a bread machine is for you.

If you have never baked homemade bread before, and find the instructions a wee bit intimidating, I encourage you to try it. It may seem intimidating at first and the various steps do take a bit of time to learn, but overall, it is truly easy.

The simplest way to learn how to bake bread is to follow a basic recipe. Try Fast2eat Bread Recipes (much more to be published – keep checking), they are kind of foolproof 😉 really easy and the bread delicious.

Dough Instructions

Bread machines are ultra-convenient, but those towering loaves that are the hallmark of the bread machine can sometimes be unwelcome. Some people don’t like it because of the shape when baked in a bread machine, or the holes in the bottom where the blades were, or they want dinner rolls or some kind of specialty shape so actually baking in a bread machine is not a choice.

Therefore if you prefer the way your bread looks when you form the dough yourself you don’t have to go through the whole baking cycle with your bread machine. Simply let your bread machine do most of the work for you, and after the kneading and/or first rise transfer your dough to regular loaf pans, do some very creative and wonderful things and bake them in the oven. You can make dinner rolls, long French bread loafs, hamburger and hot dog buns, pretzels, pizza, even Holiday favorites like braided Challah bread. The easiest way to benefit from the ease of a bread machine but still have manageable bread is oven baking your bread machine dough.

Any loaf style bread can be made this way. Oven baked bread is much different than bread machine bread. In case you are now wondering why you even need a bread machine, I highly recommend them for convenience and unmatched kneading ability. The bread machine turns out superior doughs. The taste will be the same, but the texture and crust will be very different.

This may seem like a lot of work, but it seriously only takes a few minutes and it’s sooooo worth it! And if you are giving bread away as a gift, it looks so much prettier this way too! It’s not hard to do at all, or you know I wouldn’t be doing it 😉

Kneading the dough

If you’ve ever made bread by hand you know that the kneading process is both physically demanding and time-consuming. It’s also a bit of mess as you continue to dust with flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.

Your bread machine makes this process easy. What you need to know is when the kneading process and rising process is complete. Sometimes there are audible beeps and most times there will be a cycle or setting on your bread machine for dough only. Once your dough is kneaded you can either let it rise in the machine or take it out to manage the rise yourself.

The best way to allow any dough to rise once it’s out of the machine is to cover it with some plastic wrap on a baking tray and let it rest for 30 to 40 minutes. But before you let your dough rise for the first or second time you need to work it into the shape you want.

Follow these instructions on oven baking bread machine dough.

Preparing Dough for Baking

Put ingredients in bread pan and put the bread pan into the bread maker.

Press the Select button to reach the “dough” setting.

Press “Start/Stop”. The display will begin counting down the time on the Dough setting. My bread machine takes 1 hour and 30 minutes (1:30). When the dough is ready, the unit will signal and the display will read, “0:00.”

Press “Start/Stop,” holding it down until you a hear a beep and the display clears.

To remove the bread pan, grasp the handle firmly and lift the pan out.

Note: The pan does not get hot when using the dough setting.

Shaping the Dough

Once you have your dough-ball in hand you need to consider what you are going to bake in your oven. The recipes sometimes vary so you may already have an idea, but many basic rolls and buns use the same fundamental recipe.

First, follow the bread-machine recipe for making a bread. Set the bread machine to the “dough” setting. The machine will combine the ingredients, knead the dough and give it its first rise, then beep to indicate that the dough is ready to shape. If your machine doesn’t have a “dough” setting, you’ll have to watch it carefully to see when the first rise is over and the dough gets punched down.

Lightly sprinkle all-purpose flour onto a pastry mat or board. I use well-floured parchment paper as my work surface to keep the dough from sticking and it makes clean up so much easier 🙂 After your machine beeps that the dough is ready, Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, remove the dough from the machine and drop it out onto your floured parchment paper or to a lightly flour-dusted surface. If the dough is easy to handle without flour, shape on a lightly oiled, clean countertop.

Punch the dough down, dusting with flour if needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. Knead by hand 2 or 3 times to release the air. It’s important to get all the air out of the dough or you could end up with large ugly air pockets in your loaf… and nobody wants that 🙂

Bake as directed in the recipe. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack or serve warm.

Variations in Shaping Dough

Traditional loaf shape

You could even take your dough ball and stretch it into a traditional bread pan and bake that in the oven if you want the traditional loaf shape you get at a grocery store.

Using a knife or a bench scraper, divide the dough in half (or smaller if you prefer). You can use a kitchen scale to ensure that the two pieces of dough are exactly even.

Pat Dough into a Rectangle

Once the dough is deflated, shape it into a flat rectangle, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, in which the narrow sides of the rectangle are parallel the edge of your counter.

You can also easily roll the dough up jelly roll style or fold it.

The First Fold

Starting with the “top” of the rectangle, the edge that’s furthest from you, fold one-third of the dough over.

The Second Fold

Now, fold the bottom third of the dough up over the other folded piece, as if you were folding a letter.

Repeat the Folds

Turn the piece of dough 90 degrees, then repeat the folds, folding the top third of the dough down over the middle.

Repeat the Second Fold

Fold the bottom third of the dough over the center. You should now have a thick, square-ish piece of dough.

Transfer to the Pan

Turn the dough over so that the seam is on the bottom, and tuck the layered sides underneath so the entire exposed surface of the dough is smooth. Place the dough in a pan that’s been sprayed with cooking spray or coated with oil, and use your hands to flatten the dough a little towards the edges of the pan. The dough does not need to fill the entire bottom of the pan because it will expand to fill the pan as it rises.

Repeat the shaping process with the other piece of dough.

The Second Rise

Lightly spray the top of the loaf as well as the inside of the cling wrap with olive oil to prevent sticking when it rises. Then, cover both pans of dough with a dishtowel (you can use a damp – but not wet one) or a piece of plastic wrap that’s been sprayed with cooking spray, and allow to rise in a warm space.

The dough should rise for 45 minutes to an hour and a half, or until it is doubled in size. Depending on the weather and the humidity sometimes it only takes an hour to rise, sometimes it takes 1 1/2 hours. A good indication that it has risen enough is if the dough has risen a little past the top of the pan. Preheat your oven about 10 minutes before the bread will finish its rise.

Once the bread has risen, carefully remove the plastic wrap or dish towel.

Slash the Loaves

With a very sharp paring knife or a razor (or a lame, a special bread baking tool), quickly slash the dough lengthwise down the middle of the loaf, about ¼-1/2 inch deep, leaving about 1″ uncut on each end. This will help the bread expand as it bakes, and will also give your bread a professional look.

Place loaves in the preheated oven. The temperature depends on the types of bread; if not following a Fast2eatBread recipe, consult a bread cookbook to find the most similar type of bread to your recipe. Typically, doughs that are made with whole grains or large amounts of rich ingredients like butter or eggs will bake at 350 or 375 degrees Fahrenheit (175-190C), while leaner doughs will bake at a higher temperature, 400 to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (200-220C).

Finishing the Crust – glazes, washes, and toppings

The Finished Loaf

The bread will probably take 30 to 45 minutes to bake; check it for doneness after 30 minutes. Bread will be done when its crust is firm and browned, and the underside of the loaf is also firm and makes a hollow sound when tapped.

Remove your oh so yummy smelling bread from the pan immediately and cool on a rack. You don’t want soggy bread.

Allow sitting for 10-30 minutes before you cut into your loaf. Try to control yourself and not pull off a huge chunk and slather with butter… 😛

Hamburger Buns

If you’re making hamburger buns you’ll want to cut off a piece of dough and shape it into a bun shape.

You do this by folding the dough under itself until you have a piece of dough that resembles a bun.

You can top the buns with sesame seeds, poppy seeds or other toppings. This is something that’s a bit difficult to do in a bread machine.

Remember, it will rise to 2 or 3 times its size.

You can use the same approach with less dough to make dinner rolls.

Easy Dinner Rolls

Divide dough into 12 equal pieces, shape into balls and place in greased muffin cups.

Cover, let rise and bake as directed.

Hot dog buns

If you are making a hot dog bun for a hot dog or sausage you’ll want to pull the dough into a long shape and again fold it under itself until it resembles a long, bun shape.

This too will rise to 2 to 3 times its original size.

French bread

French bread is traditionally long and thin.

Roll the dough ball with two hands into a tube shape and pull it into shape with the dough distributed as evenly as possible across the loaf and let rise.

You can top any of the rolls, buns or loaves with sesame seeds, poppy seeds or other toppings such as cheese or grilled onions. This is something that’s a bit difficult to do in a bread machine.

Swirls

Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Divide dough into 10 equal pieces.

On a lightly floured surface, using your hand, roll each piece into a pencillike strand about 10 inches long.

Beginning at one end of the strand, continue wrapping each piece around the center to form a swirl.

Place rolls 2 to 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.

Cover, let rise and bake as directed.

Butterhorns

Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch circle.

Brush dough with melted butter.

Cut into 12 wedges.

To shape rolls, begin at the wide end of wedge and roll towards the point.

Place rolls point side down, 2 to 3 inches apart, on a prepared baking sheet. Cover, let rise and bake as directed.

How to Make Pizza Dough Using a Bread Machine

I use my bread machine all the time. One of my favorites recipes, other than bread, to whip up is pizza dough.

If you think buying pizza dough or the “homemade” pizza dough from the grocery store is a healthier choice over takeout pizza… Just read the labels and you will be surprised with tons of ingredients with names you cannot pronounce along with high fructose syrup and other hydrogenated things. Basically, a bunch of unnecessary ingredients that our bodies do not need and could be easily avoided by making it from scratch at home.

Don’t be scared by the whole “from scratch” because I am going to show you how easy it is.

The thing that scared me away from making my own pizza dough was that I didn’t have the time to “work” or knead the flour into a dough by hand. The good news is the dough setting on a bread machine does all the work. The only thing you need to do is put the ingredients in, select dough cycle, and press start. While it is working hard mixing, kneading, and rising you can carry on with other things.

Almost any pizza dough recipe can be adapted for the bread machine. The one I usually make is this very basic Pizza Crust Fast2eat Recipe. Notice this recipe only has 5 well-known ingredients!!!

That is it with making your own pizza dough in a bread machine. See nothing to be scared of at all. Only five well-known ingredients, press a couple buttons, then freeze or cook it. Once you start making your own dough I promise you will never go back to store-bought.

Pizza dough is easy and obvious.

Just roll out the dough with a dusted rolling pin and pull into shape.

Put it on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or sprayed with an olive or vegetable oil spray and you’re ready to top it.

You can make a double batch of pizza dough to have on hand. It keeps in the refrigerator up to a week if it’s wrapped in plastic wrap.

If you roll out the dough when it’s still cold it will be elastic and will continue to contract to a smaller size no matter how much you roll and stretch it. If you want to whip up a pizza just cut off a chunk of dough, but let it rest for about 30 to 40 minutes until it gets up to room temperature and rises a bit.

If you already make your own pizza dough and bread using a bread machine what tips do you have? Also, feel free to share your pizza dough and bread recipes.

*(“Long-term dietary intake of gluten was not associated with risk of coronary heart disease. However, the avoidance of gluten may result in reduced consumption of beneficial whole grains, which may affect cardiovascular risk. The promotion of gluten-free diets among people without celiac disease should not be encouraged.” Source: http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1892)

Once you make my recipes, I would love to see your creations, so please let me know! Leave a comment below, take a photo and tag it on your preferred Social Media with hashtag #Fast2eat.

All text and photographs on Fast2eat are copyright protected. You are welcome to share my recipes and photos through social media as long as you prominently link back to the original post. You do not need to ask my permission to link to content published here but you DO need my permission to publish my recipes and photos. Please do not use any material from this site without obtaining prior permission. If you’d like to post this recipe on your site, please link back to this post. And remember, when you adapt my recipe please acknowledge the source with “adapted from…” designating the source with the link of my recipe.

Thanks for reading and sharing.

Got a question and/or feedback?
Please leave a public comment here. That way, other readers will be able to see the answers to your question and/or will benefit from your feedback.
Scroll down and you will find the comment form. Comments are checked on a near-daily basis Monday through Friday and answered as soon as possible.
Please don’t email me with recipe questions or feedback. I can’t keep up with them! I look forward to hearing from you in the comments.

Disclosure: Fast2eat is an Amazon Affiliate, which simply means that if you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a very small commission at no additional cost to you! It will help me keep the blog operating with new Fast and easy recipes for you.

Everybody knows that I love to bake homemade bread from scratch. Using a bread machine it couldn’t be easier and it makes some fantastic bread! A bread machine combines convenience with flexibility. If you enjoy a fresh loaf of bread, but don’t have the time or space to bake from scratch, a bread machine is for you.

If you have never baked homemade bread before, and find the instructions a wee bit intimidating, I encourage you to try it. It may seem intimidating at first and the various steps do take a bit of time to learn, but overall, it is truly easy.

The simplest way to learn how to bake bread is to follow a basic recipe. Try Fast2eat Bread Recipes (much more to be published – keep checking), they are kind of foolproof 😉 really easy and the bread delicious.

Bread Maker Important Safeguards

It’s maybe boring but it’s also important to take some safety precautions.

While the bread machine is in use, ensure the cord is safely tucked away so that your children can’t pull at it. Do not allow anything to rest on the power cord. Do not plug in cord where people may walk or trip on it.

Do not let the cord dangle over the edge of a table or counter or touch hot surfaces. Do not place on an unsteady or cloth-covered surface.

Close supervision is always necessary when this or any appliance is used by or near children, or incapacitated persons.

Do not touch hot surfaces. When handling the bread pan or kneading blade after baking, make sure you use oven mitts in case they are still hot.

Once you have finished using it, when the unit is not in use and before cleaning, unplug your bread machine from the wall outlet.

To unplug, press the “STOP” button, grip plug and pull from the wall outlet. Never pull on the cord.

Always allow metal parts to cool before cleaning. Allow the bread machine to cool thoroughly before putting in or taking off parts.

To protect against the risk of electrical shock, do not immerse the bread machine or plugs in water or other liquids.

Do not connect bread machine when it is over wet or soaked surfaces.

To avoid the risk of electrical shock. Do not touch the power cord with wet hands.

Do not operate this or any appliance with a frayed or damaged cord or plug, after the appliance malfunctions, is dropped or has been damaged in any manner. Take appliance to the nearest Authorized Service Facility for examination, repair or electrical or mechanical adjustment.

Do not use attachments not recommended by the manufacturer; they may cause fire, electric shock or injury.

Do not use outdoors or for commercial purposes, unless indicated by the manufacturer.

Do not use the bread machine for other than intended purpose.

Do not place the bread machine near a hot gas or electric burner, or in a heated oven.

Avoid contact with moving parts.

Do not block any of the ventilation openings.

Do not try to disassemble or repair the product. Replacement of a damaged part should only be done through an Authorized Service Center.

Electrical Power:

If the electric circuit is overloaded with other appliances, your bread machine may not operate properly. The bread machine should be operated on a separate electrical circuit from other operating appliances.

Check if the voltage of the bread machine is the same as the power supply voltage.

Use of extension cords

A short power supply cord has been provided to reduce the risk of injury resulting from becoming entangled in or tripping over a longer cord. Extension cords are available from hardware stores and may be used with care. The cord should be arranged so that it will not drape over the counter or tabletop where it can be pulled by children or tripped over accidentally. If the appliance is of the grounded type, the extension cord should be the grounding-type 3-wire cord.

Power outage

If there is a brief power interruption of less than five minutes, the program position is stored in memory and the machine will resume when the power is restored.

If the power goes out while you are using your breadmaker, the display will go blank.

Periodically oil your Bread Pan Spindle (Kneading Shaft) Bearings

If you look at the underside of your bread pan, you’ll see the bread spindle shaft. This does require oil on a fairly regular basis.

This is a simple thing to do. We recommend that you do this at least once every six months or you could do this once a month or more frequently if you do a lot of baking or if your machine starts making unusual noises. If you only use your machine for making dough, you can do it once per year. It all depends on your baking frequency. Doing this periodically will extend the life of your machine and the pan.

Your instruction book will probably have some information about how to lubricate this part of the mechanism, but many don’t cover this maintenance step. Many bread machine owners have said that this simple maintenance has kept their machines running quieter and more efficiently. While you will not find this in your bread machine manual, it is a good idea to periodically oil your bread pan Kneading shafts. This helps keep it moving freely, it helps kill any rust that may have formed and it will even help make the machine run quieter.

You do NOT want to add any oil to the interior of the bread pan or the internal spindle, only add a few drops of 3-in-1 Oil to the exterior shaft on the underside of the bread pan.

You must and I repeat must use 3-in-1 oil or sewing machine oil. Do NOT use cooking oil, mineral oil or WD-40 type products. The cooking oil gets gummy, the mineral oil can cause rust and it can damage the rubber seals, WD-40 and other such products are lacquer based and become hard when exposed to heat. They are also poisonous. So, please use the 3-in-1 or sewing machine oil and don’t go overboard with it and only apply it to the exterior shaft on the underside of the bread pan.

WARNING: Read the container of 3-in-1 oil or sewing machine oil before using. Heed all warnings. These oils are generally poisonous and should only be used on the outside of the pan. Always wash your hands after handling the oil and I recommend that you use a napkin or paper towel if you have to handle the areas of the pan that you oil in the future.

Oiling Your Pan

To oil your pan you will need to turn the pan over. There you will see the kneading shaft, wingnut doohickey, and the doohickey-retaining clip. You want to put a drop or two of oil between the shaft and the retaining ring (see image below). Then turn the wing nut doohickey a few times to work the oil in. Repeat once more.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Never, never, never get the outside bottom of the pan wet, this will cause rust to form and the shafts will seize up and the pan will become scrap.

Hopefully, these safeguards tips for your bread machine have been useful. Remember that prevention is better than cure so just make sure you give your bread machine the Tender Loving Care it needs and your household will be enjoying delicious bread for years to come!

*(“Long-term dietary intake of gluten was not associated with risk of coronary heart disease. However, the avoidance of gluten may result in reduced consumption of beneficial whole grains, which may affect cardiovascular risk. The promotion of gluten-free diets among people without celiac disease should not be encouraged.” Source: http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1892)

Once you make my recipes, I would love to see your creations, so please let me know! Leave a comment below, take a photo and tag it on your preferred Social Media with hashtag #Fast2eat.

All text and photographs on Fast2eat are copyright protected. You are welcome to share my recipes and photos through social media as long as you prominently link back to the original post. You do not need to ask my permission to link to content published here but you DO need my permission to publish my recipes and photos. Please do not use any material from this site without obtaining prior permission. If you’d like to post this recipe on your site, please link back to this post. And remember, when you adapt my recipe please acknowledge the source with “adapted from…” designating the source with the link of my recipe.

Thanks for reading and sharing.

Got a question and/or feedback?
Please leave a public comment here. That way, other readers will be able to see the answers to your question and/or will benefit from your feedback.
Scroll down and you will find the comment form. Comments are checked on a near-daily basis Monday through Friday and answered as soon as possible.
Please don’t email me with recipe questions or feedback. I can’t keep up with them! I look forward to hearing from you in the comments.

Disclosure: Fast2eat is an Amazon Affiliate, which simply means that if you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a very small commission at no additional cost to you! It will help me keep the blog operating with new Fast and easy recipes for you.

Everybody knows that I love to bake homemade bread from scratch. Using a bread machine it couldn’t be easier and it makes some fantastic bread! A bread machine combines convenience with flexibility. If you enjoy a fresh loaf of bread, but don’t have the time or space to bake from scratch, a bread machine is for you.

If you have never baked homemade bread before, and find the instructions a wee bit intimidating, I encourage you to try it. It may seem intimidating at first and the various steps do take a bit of time to learn, but overall, it is truly easy.

The simplest way to learn how to bake bread is to follow a basic recipe. Try Fast2eat Bread Recipes (much more to be published – keep checking), they are kind of foolproof 😉 really easy and the bread delicious.

Taking Care of Your Bread Maker

The bread maker has certainly revolutionized life in the kitchen. It’s no longer necessary to do the hard work in order to get that lovely smell of fresh bread all around your house. However, the fact that it has made things so easy for us means that we sometimes forget to take proper care of it.

Routine maintenance is actually fairly simple and should be done frequently. Maybe that’s why we’re sometimes tempted to neglect it. In fact, routine cleaning of the machine should occur after each new loaf is baked.

Are you making sure your bread machine is functioning at its best?

Eventually, you’ll get in the habit of performing this maintenance and have your bread machine for years and years.

Here are some basic steps to routinely do to keep your bread machine baking at its best.

Always Read your Instruction Manual

The first step is to always read the manual.

Your bread machine should have come with a manual with basic recipes, tips, safety instructions and recommendations for regular maintenance. If you didn’t receive a manual or can’t find it you can probably download a manual from the manufacturer’s website on the Internet.

Every bread machine model is slightly different; so make sure you follow any particular guidelines shown in the instructions.

Take the time to read it and try to follow the instructions. It can be a little boring to read the fine print but preventing any issues is much easier than having to fix them in the future.

General Cleaning

Keep your breadmaker clean at all times. Careful cleaning after each use will keep your bread machine running smoothly.

Also, make sure the machine has completely cooled and unplugged before doing any cleaning or maintenance.

☞CAUTION:

Do NOT put the breadmaker in water or in a dishwasher. Most bread pans are NOT dishwasher safe. This is due to the bearing on the underside of the pan that requires some lubrication. Although several brands market their pans and removable parts as dishwasher safe. Surely this will damage the finish of the pan and the other parts. I would recommend taking the time to wash the pans and pieces with mild dish soap, rinse and dry very well. If there is a faint unnoticed scratch on the surface of the non-stick coating, the heat, moisture, and detergent in a dishwasher will secure its demise.

WARNING: Do NOT use benzene, scrubbing brushes or chemical cleaners as these will damage the machine. Use only a mild, non-abrasive cleanser to clean the breadmaker. Never use anything abrasive to clean the inside of your machine. This can scratch it which not only makes it less attractive it will make clean up next time harder because there will be many more little pits and scratches for the stuff to get in to and to stick to.

Do NOT use metal utensils with the breadmaker. This will damage the non-stick pan and other parts.

Drying all pieces of the bread machine is imperative to avoid rust.

Soaking parts of the bread making machine for more than 30 minutes is not recommended. Excessive soaking will cause rust and corrosion of bread maker parts.

Cleaning inside of the bread machine oven

The first step is to unplug the bread machine and let it cool. When you have finished baking for the day and the bread maker has cooled, make sure the machine is unplugged.

When the machine is cool and unplugged remove the baking pan from the bread maker. Then, take the time to look at the bottom of your bread machine when the pan is removed and take a quick moment to brush or dab up the crumbs and leftover flour from the bottom of the machine. Because there are heating elements in your bread machine, these “bread-bits” continue to bake and re-bake with every new loaf. Over time they will burn and can affect the performance of your machine and give a burnt smell to your freshly baked loaf.

Avoid these ending up as burnt scraps by ensuring you remove them all before using your machine again. The easiest way to do this is by using your vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment to (carefully) remove most of it. You can then carefully wipe out anything that’s left and stuck on breadcrumbs from the bottom of the machine by wiping them away with a paper towel or a slightly damp, non-abrasive cleaning cloth. Be gentle around the element. Carefully remove all of the debris.

To avoid damage to heating element do NOT pour water into the oven cavity. The most important thing to avoid is getting the gears of your bread machine wet. Just make sure that you never pour water or any liquids directly into the bottom of the machine when cleaning it. The bread pan can contain liquids like water and milk, but the bottom of the machine is NOT designed for liquids of any kind. These gears operate the kneading blade and getting them wet can seriously damage the operation of your bread machine.

☞CAUTION:

Do NOT bend the heating element which is located on the inside of the breadmaker.

Cleaning the top or sides of the machine

If a loaf has risen too high and baked to the top or sides of the machine, remove the pan and leave your machine open and let the stuck on dough dry. It will then come off quite easily. For any that don’t come off simply dampen a paper towel and stick in over the doughy area and allow the dough to soften and then wipe it away. Carefully wipe off the glass top with glass cleaner and non-abrasive moist cloth or use a wooden spoon or plastic spatula to remove baked-on lumps of bread dough Rinse or wipe dry with clean cloth.

Be careful to not scratch the interior or it may become a catching-point for ingredients in the future. You should also avoid using chemicals like bleach or other harsh chemicals. Soap and water is your best bet.

Cleaning the Bread Machine Body

A damp cloth can be used to clean the outside of the machine.

Don’t worry if the color of the bread pan changes over time. The color change is a result of steam and other moisture and does not affect the machine’s performance.

Cleaning the Baking Pan

Baking Pan (also called Bread Basket or Bucket) is where the dough gets mixed and baked.

The baking pan and the kneading blade are the parts that come in contact with the bread dough. Most bread maker parts have a non-stick surface. The non-stick surface does not cut out the need for clean up but makes it easier.

When you clean the bread pan by hand avoid using anything that’s abrasive. Bread pans usually have a non-stick, Teflon coating and abrasives can erode the finish. The non-stick coating is very susceptible to breaking down if not cared for properly.

It is absolutely imperative that you use some type of soft utensil such as wood or silicone if you need help removing your delicious creation from the non-stick pan. Once there is a scratch, the pan coating will start to deteriorate. You certainly don’t want to feed your family bits of chemical as it flakes off of the pan into your delicious bread. Replace it immediately.

Use a damp cloth, sponge or plastic scrubber to wipe the inside of the baking pan. Fill the basket with warm soapy water using a mild dish detergent but do NOT let it sit and soak for more than 30 minutes.

☞CAUTION:

Absolutely avoid non-stick cooking spray on your non-stick pan. The pan will develop a gummy mess that is difficult to remove without damaging the pan. It can also ruin the non-stick aspect of the pan altogether.

Do NOT immerse the bread pan in water. Naturally, you should also avoid using a dishwasher, no matter how tempting! Instead, fill the main compartment with warm soapy water and let sit (no more than 30 minutes) before cleaning.

Do not use any abrasive cleaning materials, as the non-stick coating will be damaged otherwise.

Never use a metal spatula to any remove excess dough. Opt for plastic or silicone to prevent damage. You can finish the job by giving the pan a final run through with a warm wet cloth.

Caring for the Kneading Blade

The bread machine Kneading Blade (also called Kneading Paddle) is what kneads the dough. Take good care of it.

The bread kneading blade is one of the most important elements in any bread machine.

Cleaning the kneading blade is important. Is your bread no longer rising like it used to? The problem could be your kneading blade. Make sure you clean it properly after each and every loaf you make.

Most machines offer removable kneading blades. The outer surface with its non-stick finish will clean up easily.

A common lament with bread kneading blades is their tendency to either come off in a baked loaf or stick to the kneading blade-spindle in the bottom of the pan. Personally, I prefer it when the kneading blade comes off in the loaf. It’s easy to remove and I usually clean it by hand. I’ve resisted the urge to add a little vegetable oil to the spindle to make it easier to remove the kneading blade. Over time the oil will burn and thicken which could cause the kneading blade to become stuck-fast. Just remember to clean the kneading blades and the spindles after each loaf. If the kneading blades do become stuck, add hot water to the pan for 30 minutes and carefully try to remove the kneading blade.

Remove any dough from under kneading blade. It is important to check inside the kneading blade to make sure it is clean. Soaking it in soapy water for a few minutes will make the job much easier. Get rid of the small bits of bread that are stuck between parts by using a cleaning brush, instead of a sponge. If this doesn’t work, try using a toothpick. It’s much more effective and it will ensure that your bread machine continues mixing the dough properly.

Dry the kneading blade.

Assemble the parts of the bread machine after cleaning

Assemble the parts of the bread machine so it is ready for the next use.

Once you have washed the removable parts and cleaned inside, please leave the machine open to dry completely. Allow the moisture from baking and cleaning to thoroughly dissipate.

Make sure your pan and kneading blades are completely dry before returning them to the bread maker and closing the cover. This will help prevent rust from developing which may cause problems with the mechanics. Rust is difficult to manage in this warm, damp food environment once it begins. This simple habit of letting everything dry completely will help extend the life of your machine.

Storing Your Bread Machine

Make sure the machine is clean and dry before storing.

Store the breadmaker with the lid closed.

Do not place heavy objects on the lid.

Remove the kneading blade and place inside the bread pan.

Store the bread making machine in a cool dry place.

Storing the bread making machine safely in a cabinet, cupboard or pantry will cut down on countertop clutter and ensure increased protection.

Hopefully, these cleaning tips for your bread machine have been useful. The trick is to clean little and often; we recommend doing this after every single use. Remember that prevention is better than cure so just make sure you give your bread machine the Tender Loving Care it needs and your household will be enjoying delicious bread for years to come!

*(“Long-term dietary intake of gluten was not associated with risk of coronary heart disease. However, the avoidance of gluten may result in reduced consumption of beneficial whole grains, which may affect cardiovascular risk. The promotion of gluten-free diets among people without celiac disease should not be encouraged.” Source: http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1892)

Once you make my recipes, I would love to see your creations, so please let me know! Leave a comment below, take a photo and tag it on your preferred Social Media with hashtag #Fast2eat.

All text and photographs on Fast2eat are copyright protected. You are welcome to share my recipes and photos through social media as long as you prominently link back to the original post. You do not need to ask my permission to link to content published here but you DO need my permission to publish my recipes and photos. Please do not use any material from this site without obtaining prior permission. If you’d like to post this recipe on your site, please link back to this post. And remember, when you adapt my recipe please acknowledge the source with “adapted from…” designating the source with the link of my recipe.

Thanks for reading and sharing.

Got a question and/or feedback?
Please leave a public comment here. That way, other readers will be able to see the answers to your question and/or will benefit from your feedback.
Scroll down and you will find the comment form. Comments are checked on a near-daily basis Monday through Friday and answered as soon as possible.
Please don’t email me with recipe questions or feedback. I can’t keep up with them! I look forward to hearing from you in the comments.

Disclosure: Fast2eat is an Amazon Affiliate, which simply means that if you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a very small commission at no additional cost to you! It will help me keep the blog operating with new Fast and easy recipes for you.

Everybody knows that I love to bake homemade bread from scratch. Using a bread machine it couldn’t be easier and it makes some fantastic bread! A bread machine combines convenience with flexibility. If you enjoy a fresh loaf of bread, but don’t have the time or space to bake from scratch, a bread machine is for you.

If you have never baked homemade bread before, and find the instructions a wee bit intimidating, I encourage you to try it. It may seem intimidating at first and the various steps do take a bit of time to learn, but overall, it is truly easy.

The simplest way to learn how to bake bread is to follow a basic recipe. Try Fast2eat Bread Recipes (much more to be published – keep checking), they are kind of foolproof 😉 really easy and the bread delicious.

Finishing the Crust – glazes, washes and toppings

Finishing the crust, the special touch for Homemade Bread, that leaves it so yummy with a beautiful appearance!

Although glazes, washes and toppings are often optional ingredients, that I usually omit, from sheer lack of time, they do add a boost of flavour and enhance the appearance of the bread. They add flavour, affect the look, taste and crunch of the crust, provide an attractive finish on the bread, and add moisture.

The quality of bread crust is not determined only by the type of bread being baked. What you put in your loaf has much more to do with the way your loaf turns out than what you put on your loaf, glazing, washing and/or topping the exterior of your loaf can definitely help you achieve the effect you are after (i.e., soft, sweet, crusty, shiny, etc). It may also smooth or colour the crust as well as add flavour. They also provide the glue if you want to add seeds or grains to the crust.

Glazes often consist of liquid ingredients, such as oil, milk, water, honey, egg, among others, that are brushed onto the dough to provide an attractive finish. Toppings often consist of dry ingredients, such as seeds, grains, nuts, cheese, herbs, sugar, or salt, that are sprinkled on the dough, providing added flavour and creating a decorative quality.

Most glazes, washes and toppings are applied to the dough with a soft brush before baking, but some recipes call for the glaze to be applied after the bread is baked.

Important: Glazing, washing and/or topping are often the final steps in bread making prior to baking the bread. The bread dough should NOT receive any glazes, washes or toppings (if intended) until the dough has finished the second rising (final rising period), also known as proofing.

This is purely subjective, but I like the shiny glazes. Egg (I probably wouldn’t bother separating it, but the yolk is the more important component here) is probably the nicest option, unless you’re wanting a bit of sweetness, in which case the sugar water makes a nice alternative (although, for the shine, you’d have to brush it on after baking).

I very much like the simplicity of the water and flour option. I think the flour looks pretty and highlights the shape of the bread.

There are glazes, washes and toppings that can help to achieve a range of textures from soft and velvety to crisp and crunchy. But it is really up to you, the baker, as to how you will finish the loaf. Here is the full range of possibilities to choose from:

No glaze

It will look relatively pale compared to some of its glazed friends. It will have a matte appearance and the crust more chewy than crispy.

Shiny chewy crust

Egg white

Brush loaves with egg white before baking to produce a shiny, lighter in color, crust.

Important: You should NOT use it with “French” setting because the high cooking temperature may cause the egg to burn quickly.

Note: To keep unused egg yolk fresh for several days, cover with cold water and store in refrigerator in a covered container.

Egg Yolk + Milk

Egg Yolk + Cream

Crispy and crunchy crust

Water (brushed or spritzed)

For a speedy, no hassle glaze, Spraying loaves with water while they bake will produce a crispy and crunchy crust with a nicer (in my opinion!) colour than the unglazed one.

Water may be brushed on or spritzed. Water keeps the dough skin from forming the crust, enabling the dough to expand. It also smooths out the crust, creating a more refined appearance. Apply just before baking.

Water + Salt

Opaque and tasty – dissolve 2 teaspoons of salt in 2 tablespoons hot water and brush over the bread. Sprinkle with herbs and bake.

Golden crust

Egg yolk + Coffee

For a golden crust brush an egg yolk mixed with some coffee.

Egg + Coffee

For a golden crust brush a mix of 1 egg with a few drops of coffee

Dark crust

Milk

Brush loaves with milk before baking to produce a lovely golden brown colour.

Darker than the one without a glaze, but not as dark as some of the other types of glaze. It produces a quite matt appearance but slightly shinier than the unglazed roll.

Soft chew velvety crust

Melted Vegetable cream or Margarine or Butter

Brush (1/2 tablespoon per average loaf) vegetable cream or margarine or butter (preferably clarified) before baking or immediately after baking to produce a soft chew velvety crust.

Important: Do NOT use vegetable oil cooking sprays to treat crusts, as the cooking sprays can be flammable when exposed to the bread maker’s heating unit.

Butter Glaze Before Baking

It’s quite matte, darker, with a richer, more pleasing colour with a slightly cracked appearance.

Butter Glaze After Baking

Brush as it came out of the oven. The result is a pleasing shine but a less browned appearance.

Soft crust with little shine

Cornstarch + Water

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch and 6 tablespoons (1/4 cup + 2 tbsp) water: whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of the water. Bring the remaining 1/4 cup water to a boil and whisk the cornstarch mixture into it; simmer for about 30 seconds, or until thickened and translucent. Cool to room temperature, then brush on the bread before baking and again immediately after baking.

Smooth chewy crust

Olive Oil

Glazes such as Olive Oil can be applied just before or after baking to soften the crust and to provide a richer flavour.

A matt appearance. Not at all shiny. The crust has a light colour and slightly crunchier than unglazed bread.

Important: Do NOT use vegetable oil cooking sprays to treat crusts, as the cooking sprays can be flammable when exposed to the bread maker’s heating unit.

Hard crust (French or Italian)

Just in the oven. No Bread Maker baking.

Place a baking dish with boiling water on the oven floor while the bread bakes.

Rustic and chewy crust

Flour (dusted)

A powdery, rustic chewy crust. Dust the dough with some flour. This will encourage the crust to form more quickly, resulting in a more rustic appearance with a chewier crust. Apply just before baking.

Sticky sweet

Honey

Honey is applied, just after the loaf is removed from the oven. You can attach toppings. The honey will soak into the crust but hold the toppings on.

Sugar Water Glaze After Baking

A small amount of sugar dissolved in a small amount of water will give a shiny appearance and the subtly sugary flavour.

Sugar Water Glaze Before Baking

It will result in a matte appearance with a lovely darkened crust with a subtly sweet taste of the glaze.

Scoring / Creating Artisan Bread Crusts

Scoring is cutting slashes in the skin of the dough. This gives a route for the expanding dough to escape. If there isn’t a wash, the drying crust will open to permit the interior to escape creating the classic artisan look.

Artisan bread derives their name from unique combinations that aren’t usually found in traditional bread. I know using a bread maker for the whole process is more ‘automatic’ than it is ‘artisan’. Artisan “like” breads are easy to make and bake in your bread machine.

If desired, slash the top of the dough ¼ to ½ inch deep with a sharp knife into desired design.

Just before the bread baking cycle begins, open the cover of the bread maker and carefully brush the top surface of the dough with a lightly beaten egg white that has been mixed with 1 teaspoon of water.

Leave plain or sprinkle with seeds, herbs, grated parmesan or romano cheeses, or other desired toppings. Press toppings gently into the dough to ensure it adheres and will not fall off.

Close the cover and allow bread to bake.

For best results, use only the beaten egg white with water to treat the crust before the bake cycle begins. This mixture will ensure that toppings will stick and not fall off when the bread is removed from the pan.

The crust can also be treated after the bread is done baking. Remove bread from the bread pan and place on a rack. Lightly brush the top of the loaf with melted butter, margarine, olive oil, or vegetable oil and sprinkle desired topping on to the bread’s top.

Important: Do NOT use vegetable oil cooking sprays to treat crusts, as the cooking sprays can be flammable when exposed to the bread maker’s heating unit.

Note: Some glazes, such as egg or honey, have an adhesive property. When applying these glazes to bread, it is important to keep the glaze away from the sides of the pan to prevent the bread from sticking to the pan. The adhesive nature of the glaze may also prevent the dough from properly expanding while baking if too much of the glaze is applied along the edges of the pan.

Toppings

There are several methods in which toppings can be applied to dough prior to baking.

Using your fingers, simply sprinkle the ingredients over the surface of bread loaves or rolls prior to baking.

A sieve or flour duster can be used to dust the surface when using powdered ingredients such as flour.

Some toppings may be easiest to apply using a spoon.

Here are some possible toppings.

Basil

Caraway seed

Garlic flakes

Rolled oat flakes

Onion

Oregano

Poppy seed

Sesame seed

Rolled oats

Use your imagination

Of course, these are not the only glazing alternatives. This is another chance to be original and use your imagination. And remember, a glaze makes a good glue for sticking seeds, such as sesame or poppy seeds, to the top of your bread. Let me know if you have any great favourites that I’d like to try.

*(“Long-term dietary intake of gluten was not associated with risk of coronary heart disease. However, the avoidance of gluten may result in reduced consumption of beneficial whole grains, which may affect cardiovascular risk. The promotion of gluten-free diets among people without celiac disease should not be encouraged.” Source: http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1892)

Once you make my recipes, I would love to see your creations, so please let me know! Leave a comment below, take a photo and tag it on your preferred Social Media with hashtag #Fast2eat.

All text and photographs on Fast2eat are copyright protected. You are welcome to share my recipes and photos through social media as long as you prominently link back to the original post. You do not need to ask my permission to link to content published here but you DO need my permission to publish my recipes and photos. Please do not use any material from this site without obtaining prior permission. If you’d like to post this recipe on your site, please link back to this post. And remember, when you adapt my recipe please acknowledge the source with “adapted from…” designating the source with the link of my recipe.

Thanks for reading and sharing.

Got a question and/or feedback?
Please leave a public comment here. That way, other readers will be able to see the answers to your question and/or will benefit from your feedback.
Scroll down and you will find the comment form. Comments are checked on a near-daily basis Monday through Friday and answered as soon as possible.
Please don’t email me with recipe questions or feedback. I can’t keep up with them! I look forward to hearing from you in the comments.

Disclosure: Fast2eat is an Amazon Affiliate, which simply means that if you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a very small commission at no additional cost to you! It will help me keep the blog operating with new Fast and easy recipes for you.

Everybody knows that I love to bake homemade bread from scratch. Using a bread machine it couldn’t be easier and it makes some fantastic bread! A bread machine combines convenience with flexibility. If you enjoy a fresh loaf of bread, but don’t have the time or space to bake from scratch, a bread machine is for you.

If you have never baked homemade bread before, and find the instructions a wee bit intimidating, I encourage you to try it. It may seem intimidating at first and the various steps do take a bit of time to learn, but overall, it is truly easy.

The simplest way to learn how to bake bread is to follow a basic recipe. Try Fast2eat Bread Recipes (much more to be published – keep checking), they are kind of foolproof 😉 really easy and the bread delicious.

Troubleshooting Bread Making Difficulty

Even though Bread is one of the simplest, oldest foods on earth, it also takes a lot of finesse and practice before you can make it confidently and well.

This isn’t about making baking scary! It’s all part of the learning process. Although Fast2eat Bread Recipes are kind of foolproof 😉 difficulties may happen, therefore, let’s talk about common Bread Machine difficulties with possible solutions.

Loaf size & shape

The sides of the bread collapse and the bottom of the bread is damp

There are several possible solutions:

The bread may have been left in the bread pan too long after baking. Remove the bread from the pan sooner and allow it to cool

Try using more flour (a tsp. at a time), or less yeast (1/4 tsp. at a time), or less water or liquid (a tsp. at a time)

This could also be the result of forgetting to add salt to the recipe

Collapsed while baking

Maybe caused by baking at high altitude – Make adjustment for high altitude baking by reducing:

yeast by ¼ teaspoon

liquid by 1-2 teaspoons (a tsp. at a time)

Use a thermometer to accurately measure the liquid temperature

Use less liquid – Reduce liquid by 1-2 teaspoons (a tsp. at a time)

Increase the amount of salt – Use recommended amount

Too much yeast was added – Use recommended amount

During periods of warm weather with high humidity, use less water and cooler water

Top and sides cave in

Too much liquid – Reduce liquid by 1-2 teaspoons (a tsp. at a time)

Too much yeast – Use recommended amount

Rose too much

Try using less yeast (1/4 tsp. less at a time).

This could also be the result of forgetting to add salt to the recipe or forgetting to put the kneading blade into the baking pan.

using water that is too hot (except otherwise noted in the recipes and for ExpressBake® setting recipes use lukewarm liquids 80-90°F (27-32°C), all other ingredients at room temperature)

Measuring errors – check recipe

Short and dense

Use high protein bread flour – Certain flours, such as whole wheat and rye, create heavier products than white flour. Wheat bread will be shorter than white bread due to less gluten-forming protein in whole-wheat flour. Add 1/2 tablespoon of Vital Wheat Gluten to each cup of Whole Wheat Flour to make it lighter and to prevent the bread collapses during the baking period due to less gluten-forming protein in whole-wheat flour

Not enough liquid – Check consistency of dough after 5-15 minutes into the kneading time. If dough is too dry, add liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time

Sugar omitted or not enough added – Assemble ingredients as listed in recipe

A wrong type of flour used – Do not use all-purpose flour

Not enough yeast used or too old – Measure amount recommended and check freshness date on package and Check the yeast activity

A wrong type of yeast used – Use fast rising or bread machine yeast. Do not use compressed yeast or Baking Powder

Gnarly or knotted top, not smooth

Raw, not baked through in the center (doughy center)

Try using more flour (a tsp more at a time)

Too much liquid – Reduce liquid by 1-2 teaspoons (a tsp less at a time)

Do not lift the lid too often during baking

Power outage during operation – If the power goes out during operation for longer than 5 minutes, the breadmaker will remain off when the power is restored. Remove the unbaked loaf from the bread pan and start over with fresh ingredients. Or use Bake cycle

Forgot to put knead blade in the bread pan – Always make sure the knead blade is on the shaft in the bottom of the bread pan before adding ingredients

Unplug the cord from the outlet and allow the breadmaker to cool down for 10 to 20 minutes with the cover open and the pan removed. Plug the cord back in the outlet, add bread pan and start the machine in the BAKE cycle

Large mushroom top

Reduce the amount of water (a tsp less at a time)

Reduce the amount of yeast (a tsp less at a time)

Open, coarse or holey texture

This is usually the result of

Salt omitted – Assemble ingredients as listed in the recipe or Increase the amount of salt

Too much yeast – Add recommended amount of yeast

Too much liquid – Reduce liquid by 1-2 teaspoons (a tsp less at a time)

Doesn’t slice well, very sticky

Sliced while too hot – Allow bread to cool on rack at least 15 minutes before slicing to release steam

Not using a proper knife – Use a good bread knife or electric knife

Crust and Colour Thickness

Too brown (Dark crust) or too thick

This is usually the result of adding too much sugar to the recipe. Try using less sugar (1 Tbsp. at a time).

Bread machine cycles can be picked to control crust colour and crispiness. Sweet bread cycle is intended for bread that has a higher fat or sugar content, or recipes that call for eggs or cheese. The baking temperature is lower to prevent a burned or dark crust, which can be caused by these ingredients.

You can also try selecting a lighter crust color selection. If your machine does not have this feature, remove the loaf a few minutes before baking is normally completed.

Burned

Breadmaker is malfunctioning – See Warranty page for service information.

Not brown enough / Unbrowned top

This is usually the result of repeatedly lifting the lid of the bread machine or leaving the lid open while the bread is baking. Be sure the lid is shut while the breadmaker is in operation.

You can also try

selecting a darker crust color selection

Increase the amount of sugar or fat by half the amount recommended in case of Not enough sugar or fat

Select a smaller size recipe

If the machine has an all-glass top, tent outside of dome with foil

Crust is too thick

Remove bread from machine immediately after bake cycle is completed.

Taste

Rancid taste

Check the whole grain ingredients. Whole grain flours, wheat germ and similar ingredients should be kept in the refrigerator or freezer. They spoil rapidly when left at room temperature and can give your bread a rancid taste. Flours are not subject to the same type of spoilage and can be kept at room temperature.

Bread Maker Problems

Knead blade cannot be removed

Add warm water to the bread pan and allow the knead blade to soak before trying to remove. Follow the cleaning instructions. You may need to twist the knead blade slightly after soaking to loosen.

Do NOT immerse the bread pan in water.

Bread sticks to bread pan/difficult to shake out

Can happen over prolonged use.

Wipe the inside of the bread pan, from the ribs down with vegetable oil or solid shortening

Or add 1 tsp. vegetable oil to the liquid in the bread pan before adding dry ingredients

Do NOT use vegetable spray as sticking can worsen

Or, let bread sit in the bread pan for 10 minutes before shaking out

Replacement bread pan may be ordered. See Warranty section

Bread Maker Mechanics

Ingredients not mixed

Did not start machine – After programming the control panel, press the “START/STOP” button to turn on

Forgot to put knead blade in bread pan – Always make sure the knead blade is on the shaft in the bottom of the bread pan before adding ingredients

Burning odor noted during operation

Ingredients spilled inside the machine – Be careful not to spill ingredients when adding to the bread pan as they will burn on the heating unit and cause smoke

Exceeding capacity of bread pan – Do not use more ingredients than recommended in the recipe and always measure accurately

If you have a power outage during use or Machine unplugged by mistake for longer than 5 minutes. How can I save the bread?

If there is a brief power interruption of less than five minutes, the program position is stored in memory and the machine will resume when the power is restored.

If the power goes out while you are using your breadmaker, the display will go blank.

When the power comes back on, you should do the following:

Hold down the “Start/Stop” button for at least 3 seconds. If the display does not return to the time set before the outage, unplug the breadmaker and then plug it back in

If the machine still does not start, hold down the “Start/Stop” button a second time for 3 seconds. Continue to unplug and replug the machine and hold down the “Start/Stop” button until the display returns to the cycle time before the power outage

If the machine is in knead cycle, reprogram to the same bread setting and turn the machine back on

If the machine is in rising cycle – wait until it rises and use the bake cycle OR preheat conventional oven to 350°F (177°C). Carefully remove the bread pan from the machine and bake on the rack in center of the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown

If the machine is in bake cycle – use the bake cycle

If the power goes out for more than 20 minutes – start from scratch with a new loaf

Breadmaker too hot to make consecutive loaves. After a baking cycle, the breadmaker will not operate until it has cooled down. If you wish to make another loaf of bread right away, please Unplug the cord from the outlet and allow the breadmaker to cool down for 10 to 20 minutes with the cover open and the pan removed. Plug the cord back in the outlet, add bread pan and start the machine.

Alert sounds

At the pressing of any button that allows function selection. If the button doesn’t beep, that function choice is not available

During the second kneading cycle of the “BASIC,” WHOLEWHEAT,” and “SWEET” programs to signal that the cereals, fruit, nuts or other ingredients can be added

When the end of the program is reached

During the warming phase at the end of the baking procedure, the alert sounds several times

*(“Long-term dietary intake of gluten was not associated with risk of coronary heart disease. However, the avoidance of gluten may result in reduced consumption of beneficial whole grains, which may affect cardiovascular risk. The promotion of gluten-free diets among people without celiac disease should not be encouraged.” Source: http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1892)

Once you make my recipes, I would love to see your creations, so please let me know! Leave a comment below, take a photo and tag it on your preferred Social Media with hashtag #Fast2eat.

All text and photographs on Fast2eat are copyright protected. You are welcome to share my recipes and photos through social media as long as you prominently link back to the original post. You do not need to ask my permission to link to content published here but you DO need my permission to publish my recipes and photos. Please do not use any material from this site without obtaining prior permission. If you’d like to post this recipe on your site, please link back to this post. And remember, when you adapt my recipe please acknowledge the source with “adapted from…” designating the source with the link of my recipe.

Thanks for reading and sharing.

Got a question and/or feedback?
Please leave a public comment here. That way, other readers will be able to see the answers to your question and/or will benefit from your feedback.
Scroll down and you will find the comment form. Comments are checked on a near-daily basis Monday through Friday and answered as soon as possible.
Please don’t email me with recipe questions or feedback. I can’t keep up with them! I look forward to hearing from you in the comments.

Disclosure: Fast2eat is an Amazon Affiliate, which simply means that if you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a very small commission at no additional cost to you! It will help me keep the blog operating with new Fast and easy recipes for you.

Everybody knows that I love to bake homemade bread from scratch. Using a bread machine it couldn’t be easier and it makes some fantastic bread! A bread machine combines convenience with flexibility. If you enjoy a fresh loaf of bread, but don’t have the time or space to bake from scratch, a bread machine is for you.

If you have never baked homemade bread before, and find the instructions a wee bit intimidating, I encourage you to try it. It may seem intimidating at first and the various steps do take a bit of time to learn, but overall, it is truly easy.

The simplest way to learn how to bake bread is to follow a basic recipe. Try Fast2eat Bread Recipes (much more to be published – keep checking), they are kind of foolproof 😉 really easy and the bread delicious.

Bread Maker Cycles Settings

The bread machine cycles offer you the flexibility to optimize your bread characteristics. Each cycle has a specific time and temperature to maximize dough performance.

Your bread maker can bake almost any kind of bread. Bread machines are really helpful and great appliances. However, sometimes all the cycles can be confusing and it’s difficult to know which one to use for a particular recipe.

This post will help you select the correct cycle if you are not following a Fast2eat Bread Recipe and your recipe doesn’t specify which one to use. It will also help understanding the most common bread machine cycles and settings which are explained here for quick reference.

Note: For your specific machine cycles, refer to your owner’s manual.

Basic

Use for white, rye, potato, egg, garlic and similar bread.

The “Basic” setting can be used for almost any bread recipe containing mostly bread flour. This setting is probably used more than any other because it gives you the best results with just about any recipe. It is ideal for basic bread without much fuss.

This setting is great for most savoury yeast bread. Do NOT use this cycle for sweet yeast bread, as you can accidentally overproof your loaf.

Basic Bread Machine Stages

It’s fun to watch your bread being made through the viewing window.

For the basic cycle, you can expect the following things to happen as the timer counts down to zero.

For Basic 2 lb. loaves

Time: 3:25 hours

To begin: The ingredients are kneaded for the first time (5 minutes)
At 3:20, the dough rests for 5 minutes
At 3:15, the dough is kneaded for the second time (20 minutes)
At 2:55, the dough begins to rise (39 minutes)
At 2:16, the dough is “punched down” (10 seconds)
At 2:16, the dough continues to rise (25 minutes and 50 seconds)
At 1:50, the dough is shaped (15 seconds)
At 1:50, the dough comes to the last period of rising (48 minutes and 45 seconds)
At 0:60, the dough begins to bake (60 minutes)
At 0:00, the bread is finished.

For Basic 1 ½ lb. loaves

Time: 3:18 hours

To begin: The ingredients are kneaded for the first time (5 minutes)
At 3:13, the dough rests for 5 minutes
At 3:08, the dough is kneaded for the second time (20 minutes)
At 2:48, the dough begins to rise (39 minutes)
At 2:09, the dough is “punched down” (10 seconds)
At 2:09, the dough continues to rise (25 minutes and 50 seconds)
At 1:43, the dough is shaped (15 seconds)
At 1:43, the dough comes to the last period of rising (48 minutes and 45 seconds)
At 0:53, the dough begins to bake (53 minutes)
At 0:00, the bread is finished.

Sweet

The “sweet” setting is for baking bread with high amounts of sugar, fats, proteins, or recipes that call for eggs or cheese, as well as for preparing bread with raisins, cinnamon, apricots, and similar ingredients; all of which tend to increase browning. The baking temperature is lower to prevent a burned or dark crust, which can be caused by these ingredients.

Don’t get it confused with the quick bread cycle, however. Quick bread cooks at a different pace and requires no rise time.

Sweet Bread Machine Stages

For the sweet bread cycle you can expect the following things to happen as the timer counts down to zero:

For sweet 2 lbs.

Time: 3:27 hours

For sweet 1.5 lb. loaves

Time: 3:22 hours

To begin: The ingredients are kneaded for the first time (5 minutes) At 3:17, the dough rests for 5 minutes At 3:12, the dough is kneaded for the second time (20 minutes) At 2:52, the dough begins to rise (39 minutes) At 2:13, the dough is “punched down” (10 seconds) At 2:13, the dough continues to rise (25 minutes and 50 seconds) At 1:47, the dough is shaped (5 seconds) At 1:47, the dough comes to the last period of rising (51 minutes and 55 seconds) At 0:55, the dough begins to bake (55 minutes) At 0:00, the bread is finished.

Whole Wheat

The rise time is generally longer in this cycle to make a quality bread so that the gluten can get to work.

I also add wheat gluten to whole wheat loaves, which may allow you to use the basic setting, but for best results, I stick with the whole wheat setting.

Whole Wheat Bread Machine Stages

For the Whole Wheat bread cycle, you can expect the following things to happen as the timer counts down to zero.

For Whole Wheat 2 lbs.

Time: 3:48 hours

For Whole Wheat 1.5 lb. loaves

Time: 3:45 hours

To begin: The ingredients rest for a while (25 minutes)At 3:20, the ingredients are kneaded for the first time (5 minutes) At 3:15, the dough rests for 5 minutes At 3:10, the dough is kneaded for the second time (15 minutes) At 2:55, the dough begins to rise (49 minutes) At 2:05, the dough is “punched down” (10 seconds) At 2:05, the dough continues to rise (25 minutes and 50 seconds) At 1:40, the dough is shaped (10 seconds) At 1:40, the dough comes to the last period of rising (49 minutes and 50 seconds) At 0:50, the dough begins to bake (50 minutes) At 0:00, the bread is finished.

Whole Wheat Bread Recipes (much more to be published – keep checking)

French

Use this setting for making French bread. French bread takes longer to knead, rise and bake, providing a heartier crust.

The French setting on your bread maker isn’t just for French bread! Many types of bread that are baked in the European style, specifically those from Western Europe, will do better using this setting. The timing is a bit longer on most machines than a basic loaf, and temperature settings may vary slightly. These modifications help your bread to obtain the texture and crust that are characteristic of French and Italian bread, among others.

French Bread Machine Stages

For the French cycle, you can expect the following things to happen as the timer counts down to zero.

For 1.5 lb. loaves

Time: 3:35 hours

To begin: The ingredients are kneaded for the first time (5 minutes) At 3:30, the dough rests for 5 minutes At 3:25, the dough is kneaded for the second time (20 minutes) At 3:05, the dough begins to rise (39 minutes) At 2:26, the dough is “punched down” (10 seconds) At 2:26, the dough continues to rise (30 minutes and 50 seconds) At 1:55, the dough is shaped (10 seconds) At 1:55, the dough comes to the last period of rising (59 minutes and 50 seconds) At 0:55, the dough begins to bake (55 minutes) At 0:00, the bread is finished.

Note: Rapid Setting will reduce total time by about an hour.

French Bread Recipes (much more to be published – keep checking)

Gluten-Free

Use this setting for baking gluten-free bread. It is necessary to make sure that all ingredients being used are marked as gluten-free. Note that wheat-free does not always mean Gluten-free, you must read all labels carefully.

Individuals with special diets may require gluten-free baked goods. Bread makers often include a special cycle for gluten-free bread to help these individuals enjoy the experience of baking fresh bread. Gluten-free bread ingredients can vary greatly based on the recipe, but using room temperature ingredients is advisable, as is using flours like almond, millet, or sorghum. Starch flours like potato and rice don’t produce spectacular gluten-free bread, although they can make a good addition to either gluten-free or wheat flour bread recipes. These bread still require rise time, as you will be able to see while your machine is working.

Gluten-Free bread machine stages

For the Gluten-Free cycle, you can expect the following things to happen as the timer counts down to zero.

Time: 2:10 hours

To begin: The ingredients are kneaded for the first time (5 minutes) At 2:05, the dough is kneaded for the second time (10 minutes) At 1:55, the dough rises (60 minutes) At 0:55, the dough begins to bake (60 minutes) At 0:00, the bread is finished.

Quick/Rapid

Use this setting for baking 2 lbs. bread quickly – time is slightly longer than Express Bake but the texture will be finer.

The loaves baked with this setting are a little taller and airier than the 58-minute bread.

Sometimes labeled “Quick” cycle, and other time “Rapid”, this cycle is for bread in a hurry. This cycle varies from machine to machine, but in general, implies the shortening of rising times.

In some machines, rapid rise yeast may be requested for this cycle. You might need to find a copy of the manual for your machine in order to use this cycle correctly.

Those of you who love banana nut bread and similar treats, this is the cycle you will probably get the most use out of. It is designed for use with quick bread recipes, Quick bread, as a rule, can be baked immediately; they require no rise time. You might be able to use this cycle for cakes, as well, depending on your machine.

Quick/Rapid Bread Machine Stages

Time: 1:20 hour

For the 80 minutes Quick/Rapid cycle you can expect the following things to happen as the timer counts down to zero:

At 1:20: The dough is kneaded. (20 minutes) At 1:00: The dough begins to rise. (18 minutes) At 0:42: The bread begins to bake. (42 minutes) At 0:00: The bread is finished.

Quick/Rapid Bread Recipes (much more to be published – keep checking)

ExpressBake

Use this setting for baking loaves of bread in under one hour. These settings can bake bread in 58 minutes.

Loaves baked on the ExpressBake™ setting are a little different than loaves not baked on ExpressBake™ settings. The bread is a little denser in texture with this setting. Try all the different settings to see which one you prefer.

ExpressBake™ Setting Tips and Hints

There are a few things you should know about the ExpressBake™ settings that are different than the other settings.

Loaves baked on ExpressBake™ settings tend to have a darker, thicker crust than other kinds of bread. Sometimes there will be a crack in the top of the crust. This is because baking is done at higher temperatures. They also tend to be shorter, denser loaves.

You CANNOT use the Delay Timer for the ExpressBake™ settings. This would cool the liquid ingredients and affect the way that the bread rises.

You CANNOT use the “Crust Color” buttons when baking bread on the ExpressBake™ settings.

DO NOT open the cover while making bread on the ExpressBake™ settings.

If the loaf is hard to remove from the pan, let it sit for about 5 minutes to cool. Shake the bread out of the pan and wait for 15 minutes before slicing.

YOU CAN use standard bread mixes for ExpressBake™ setting bread, but the results may not be that good.

Yeast – Always use a fast-rising/Quick Rise yeast. DO NOT use active dry yeast for ExpressBake™ settings because the loaves will be much shorter when baked.

Liquids – Always use hot water in the range of 46°–52°C (115°–125°F). You must use a cooking thermometer to gauge the temperature; hotter water can kill the yeast while cooler water may not activate it.

Salt – As a rule, you should use LESS salt for ExpressBake™ setting bread. Less salt provides you with a higher loaf.

Other Ingredients – Make sure all other ingredients (like flour, sugar, dry milk, butter, etc.) are at room temperature.

Things You May Need to Buy

You should only use “Bread Machine” flour for the ExpressBake™ setting recipes.

You may need a cooking thermometer to measure the temperature of the water you use in these recipes. You should only use hot water – between 46°–52°C (115°–125°F) – for ExpressBake™ setting recipes.

Although baking ExpressBake™ setting bread is a little different, the results and convenience are well worth it.

Express Bake(1.5LB)

Use this setting for baking smaller – 1.5-lb (680g) – loaves of bread in under one hour.

Express Bake (2.0LB)

Use this setting for baking larger – 2.0-lb (907g) – loaves of bread in under one hour.

ExpressBake™ Bread Machine Stages (58 minutes)

For the 58-minute ExpressBake™ cycle you can expect the following things to happen as the timer counts down to zero:

To begin: The ingredients are kneaded (15 minutes) At 0:43, the dough begins to rise (8 minutes) At 0:35, the dough begins to bake (35 minutes) At 0:00, the bread is finished.

Important:

You CANNOT use the delay timer for ExpressBake™ Breadmaker setting bread.

You CANNOT change the crust color.

Jam

This setting is for making jams and marmalades.

The jam cycle is great for making homemade fruit spreads.

You need to be aware that the bread pan, handle, paddle, and the machine itself can be very, very hot when this cycle completes. Make sure to use potholders.

For best results when making jam in your bread machine, cut your fruit into cubes. DO NOT PUREE IN ADVANCE. Trust me on this one.

Jam cycle Bread Machine Stages

Time: 1:05 hour

For the Jam cycle, you can expect the following things to happen as the timer counts down to zero.

To begin: The ingredients are kneaded for the first time (15 minutes) At 0:50, the dough begins to bake (50 minutes) At 0:00, the Jam is finished.

Dough

Use for the preparation of dough with no baking. This setting lets you prepare dough for rolls, specialty bread, pizza, etc., which you shape by hand, allow to rise, then bake in a conventional oven.

The dough cycle is a great option for making bread dough when you want to shape the loaves yourself. It saves you quite a lot of work and mess since it does all the mixing and kneading for you.

It works very well with the timer, so you can set the dough to be ready when you have time to shape it into a loaf or rolls and bake it.

The dough cycle, depending on your machine, can also be used for creating cookie dough, pie crust, and numerous other type dough that you intend on baking in your oven, and not in the bread machine. In some machines, this may also work for pasta dough, although other machines include a separate cycle for pasta.

Dough Bread Machine Stages

Time: 1:30 hour

For the Dough cycle, you can expect the following things to happen as the timer counts down to zero.

To begin: The ingredients are kneaded for the first time (5 minutes) At 1:25, the dough rests for 5 minutes At 1:20, the dough is kneaded for the second time (20 minutes) At 1:00, the dough begins to rise (60 minutes) At 0:00, the dough is finished.

Dough Recipes (much more to be published – keep checking)

Bagel Dough:

To begin: The ingredients are kneaded for the first time (20 minutes) At 1:40, the dough is kneaded for the second time (10 minutes) At 1:30, the dough begins to rise (90 minutes) At 0:00, the dough is finished.

Pasta Dough

This setting lets you prepare dough for pasta to make noodles, ravioli or other fresh pasta.

Time: 14 minutes

Cake

Use this setting for making cakes. This option prepares the dough and bakes. Baking Powder should be used.

Time: 1:30 hour

Bake

This setting is for baking dough that you may have prepared without using the previous settings.

Use to bake and/or brown bread or cakes.

Use this cycle to bake the bread again if you think it has not been baked enough or in case of power outage.

Time: 1 hour

How do I know which crust color to select?

Bread machine cycles can be picked to control crust color and crispiness. If you prefer a soft and light crust, choose a light cycle. For the darker, crisper crust, choose a darker cycle. If your bread recipe has a lot of grains or sweeteners that can cause it to brown quickly, choose a light crust cycle.

Conclusion

Bread machine settings and cycles are easy enough to use, once you are acquainted with your machine. The most common bread machines cycles and settings explained above should help you get started, even if you don’t have your manual on hand. Happy Baking!

Note: Times are approximate based on setting and loaf size for my Bread machine (Sunbeam 2LB (900g) Bread Maker with Gluten-Free Setting). Once you press the “Start/Stop” button the display will show the remaining time until your bread is baked. When the display reads “0:00” the bread is baked.

*(“Long-term dietary intake of gluten was not associated with risk of coronary heart disease. However, the avoidance of gluten may result in reduced consumption of beneficial whole grains, which may affect cardiovascular risk. The promotion of gluten-free diets among people without celiac disease should not be encouraged.” Source: http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1892)

Once you make my recipes, I would love to see your creations, so please let me know! Leave a comment below, take a photo and tag it on your preferred Social Media with hashtag #Fast2eat.

All text and photographs on Fast2eat are copyright protected. You are welcome to share my recipes and photos through social media as long as you prominently link back to the original post. You do not need to ask my permission to link to content published here but you DO need my permission to publish my recipes and photos. Please do not use any material from this site without obtaining prior permission. If you’d like to post this recipe on your site, please link back to this post. And remember, when you adapt my recipe please acknowledge the source with “adapted from…” designating the source with the link of my recipe.

Thanks for reading and sharing.

Got a question and/or feedback?
Please leave a public comment here. That way, other readers will be able to see the answers to your question and/or will benefit from your feedback.
Scroll down and you will find the comment form. Comments are checked on a near-daily basis Monday through Friday and answered as soon as possible.
Please don’t email me with recipe questions or feedback. I can’t keep up with them! I look forward to hearing from you in the comments.

Disclosure: Fast2eat is an Amazon Affiliate, which simply means that if you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a very small commission at no additional cost to you! It will help me keep the blog operating with new Fast and easy recipes for you.

Everybody knows that I love to bake homemade bread from scratch. Using a bread machine it couldn’t be easier and it makes some fantastic bread! A bread machine combines convenience with flexibility. If you enjoy a fresh loaf of bread, but don’t have the time or space to bake from scratch, a bread machine is for you.

If you have never baked homemade bread before, and find the instructions a wee bit intimidating, I encourage you to try it. It may seem intimidating at first and the various steps do take a bit of time to learn, but overall, it is truly easy.

The simplest way to learn how to bake bread is to follow a basic recipe. Try Fast2eat Bread Recipes (much more to be published – keep checking), they are kind of foolproof 😉 really easy and the bread delicious.

Basic steps of Breadmaker Functions

A bread machine combines convenience with flexibility. If you enjoy a fresh loaf of bread, but don’t have the time or space to bake from scratch, a bread machine is for you.

It is easy to create special recipes without a lot of time and effort. Just refer to the relative recipe and follow this basic process.

Bread function

1. Place the bread maker on a counter where the plug will reach an outlet. DO NOT yet plug the machine into the wall outlet. Wait until you have inserted bread pan into bread maker with the ingredients. (step 7).

2. Make sure you can open the bread maker top without hitting the top of kitchen cabinets.

3. Open the lid and remove the baking pan. To do this, simply grasp the handle of the pan and pull straight up. Use a gentle, non-abrasive soap and wash, rinse, and dry the pan thoroughly.

4. Attach the kneading blade (a) to the baking pan (b), as shown, matching the hub shape with the shaft shape. You may need to twist the bar slightly for the knead blade to drop in place. Make sure the knead blade is pushed down on the shafts all the way.

Do not yet place the pan into the bread maker. Wait until you have added all ingredients (step 6).

5. Place ingredients into the bread pan in the following order (or following the order and method specified in the manual of your Bread Maker):

FIRST: liquid ingredients (Remember, use water that is room temperature. DO NOT use very hot or very cold water. It’s a good idea to view the measuring cup at eye level to make sure you have measured exactly quantity of cups) and fat.

SECOND: dry ingredients – Make sure not to “overpack” the flour into the cup. To avoid overpacking, a good trick is to fill the measuring cup to overflowing, then tap the side of the cup with a knife or spatula to remove air pockets. Level off the measuring cup and the tablespoons with the knife or spatula for an exact measurement. It is especially important to measure the salt precisely because too much salt, even a little, can affect the rising of the dough.

LAST: yeast – For best results level the dry ingredients before adding the yeast. With a finger or a knife, make a small indentation in the middle of the flour. Add yeast to indentation, making sure it does not come into contact with the liquid ingredients. Note: Yeast must NEVER come into contact with a liquid when you are adding ingredients.

6. Carefully insert bread pan into the breadmaker and gently close the lid.

11. If desired, use the “TIME” button to set the elapsed time for when the program is to be completed. Note: The delay time is calculated as the working time plus the delayed time (example for basic bread 2.0 lbs: delay timer set to 15:00 hours = a delay time of 11 hrs. & 35 min. plus the working time of 3 hrs. & 25 min.).

Caution: Do not use Delay Timer* for recipes with ingredients that can spoil like eggs or milk.
More information at: “Using the Delay Timer“

12. Press the Start button to begin the program.

Note: If you need to stop the bread maker, press the “Start/Stop” button for about 1 second, the bread maker will stop, however, you will need to redo the process. The machine will turn off and you will need to start over again, from scratch.

After the bread maker has been turned on, the programmed setting cannot be changed without cancelling the program. To change the setting, hold the “Start/Stop” button down. Then program the control as desired and turn back on.

Important: It is important that you should not raise the lid while the bread maker is baking bread for most of the recipes. Some recipes you will need to raise the lid to glaze, add nuts, fruits, or other ingredients.

Caution: The bread maker is very hot. DO NOT handle the machine while it’s operating.

13. Optional: To glaze the loaf, brush the top with Egg Yolk, or any other glaze option, either at the beginning of cooking time or halfway through.

14. When the baking cycle is complete, an alert will sound. Turn the breadmaker off by pressing the stop button.

Note: If the bread maker is not turned off after the cycle is complete, the bread maker will automatically go into a “Keep Warm” setting that will keep your bread warm for up to one hour, we recommend however to remove the bread from the bread maker right away to preserve its freshness. If the machine is not turned off after the end of the “Keep Warm” period, the machine will turn itself off.

Important: You may remove the Baking Pan at any time during the “Keep-Warm” cycle. To turn off the “Keep-Warm” feature, simply press the “STOP” button and hold it for 2 – 3 seconds.

Remember: Bread is best when removed from bread pan no more than 1 hour after the “Keep-Warm” feature ends.

The “Keep-Warm” feature is not provided for the dough setting or the Jam/Jelly Setting.

15. Unplug the bread maker from the electrical outlet.

16. Open the lid and while using oven mitts or hot pads, firmly grasp the bread pan handle and gently pull the pan straight up and out of the machine.

Caution: The bread maker and pan may be very hot! Always handle with care.

Remember: Steam will escape when the cover is opened. Be sure to use pot holders or oven mitts to avoid steam burns. Do not put your face near the lid when you open the bread maker, hot steam may escape that could burn you.

17. Use non-stick rubber spatula (metal can damage the pan’s surface) to gently loosen the sides of the bread from the pan.

Note: The knead blades will normally stay in the bread pan when the bread is removed, but may on occasion slide out in the bread. If the knead blades are inside the loaf, remove it before slicing.

Caution: The knead blades are very hot, remove with care.

19. Turn bread right side up and cool for about 15 minutes before slicing.

Important: After a baking cycle, the bread maker will not operate until it has cooled down. If making another loaf of bread right away, be sure the machine is turned off and allowed to cool 10 to 20 minutes with the cover open and the pan removed.

Dough function:

The dough function program is similar to the bread function, except that there is no baking mode operation. When the program is finished, it will beep 5 times as a warning. When the machine beeps, indicating the program is finished, remove the dough from the bread pan.

Baking function:

This function can be used to bake bread or other dough. Please refer to the relative recipe.

Note: For more even baking, it is recommended to slice food into smaller sizes and distribute them evenly in the bread pan.

*(“Long-term dietary intake of gluten was not associated with risk of coronary heart disease. However, the avoidance of gluten may result in reduced consumption of beneficial whole grains, which may affect cardiovascular risk. The promotion of gluten-free diets among people without celiac disease should not be encouraged.” Source: http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1892)

Once you make my recipes, I would love to see your creations, so please let me know! Leave a comment below, take a photo and tag it on your preferred Social Media with hashtag #Fast2eat.

All text and photographs on Fast2eat are copyright protected. You are welcome to share my recipes and photos through social media as long as you prominently link back to the original post. You do not need to ask my permission to link to content published here but you DO need my permission to publish my recipes and photos. Please do not use any material from this site without obtaining prior permission. If you’d like to post this recipe on your site, please link back to this post. And remember, when you adapt my recipe please acknowledge the source with “adapted from…” designating the source with the link of my recipe.

Thanks for reading and sharing.

Got a question and/or feedback?
Please leave a public comment here. That way, other readers will be able to see the answers to your question and/or will benefit from your feedback.
Scroll down and you will find the comment form. Comments are checked on a near-daily basis Monday through Friday and answered as soon as possible.
Please don’t email me with recipe questions or feedback. I can’t keep up with them! I look forward to hearing from you in the comments.

Disclosure: Fast2eat is an Amazon Affiliate, which simply means that if you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a very small commission at no additional cost to you! It will help me keep the blog operating with new Fast and easy recipes for you.

Everybody knows that I love to bake homemade bread from scratch. Using a bread machine it couldn’t be easier and it makes some fantastic bread! A bread machine combines convenience with flexibility. If you enjoy a fresh loaf of bread, but don’t have the time or space to bake from scratch, a bread machine is for you.

If you have never baked homemade bread before, and find the instructions a wee bit intimidating, I encourage you to try it. It may seem intimidating at first and the various steps do take a bit of time to learn, but overall, it is truly easy.

The simplest way to learn how to bake bread is to follow a basic recipe. Try Fast2eat Bread Recipes (much more to be published – keep checking), they are kind of foolproof 😉 really easy and the breads are delicious.

Basic Ingredients

The ingredients in basic bread are very simple: flour, sugar, salt, a liquid (such as water or milk), possibly a fat (such as butter or oil) and yeast. And each ingredient performs a specific job, and each lends a special flavor to the final masterpiece. That’s why it’s important to use the right ingredients in exactly the right proportions to ensure you get the most delicious results!

Flour

White Flour

In order for the bread to rise, the flour has to have a high protein content. You should always use “bread flour” (for white bread recipes) in your bread maker to get the best results. It contains more gluten* forming proteins than all-purpose flour and will provide well-formed loaves with good structure. This means that bread made with bread flour will rise higher than bread made with all-purpose flour.

If you don’t have Bread Flour you can make your own bread flour by adding 1 1/2 teaspoons gluten* to each cup of all-purpose flour you use in your bread recipe.

You should NOT use cake flour or self-rising flour in your bread maker.

Whole Wheat Flour

Whole Wheat Flour can be used in your bread maker using the “Whole Wheat” bread setting. Whole wheat flour contains the entire wheat kernel, including the bran and wheat germ which inhibits rising. Therefore, bread made with 100 percent or a high percentage of whole wheat flour will be lower in height and heavier in texture than bread made with bread flour. The “Whole Wheat” setting on your bread maker is programmed to better develop the structure of wheat bread for optimum results.

A lighter, larger loaf can be achieved by combining whole wheat flour with white bread flour for wheat bread recipes.

Vital Wheat Gluten* can also be added to improve the shape and volume of bread made with low gluten flours. For a 100% or a high percentage (more than 50%) of Whole Wheat Flour add 1/2 tablespoon of Vital Wheat Gluten to each cup of Whole Wheat Flour to make it lighter and to prevent the bread collapses during the baking period due to less gluten-forming protein in whole-wheat flour. This will produce a taller loaf. If you find the loaves are still short, increase by adding an extra teaspoon until you get the results you desire (be sure to note the amounts on the recipe). It’s optional, but I recommend for a guaranteed fluffy loaf, it will make a chewier and less dense crust.

Vital wheat gluten and gluten flour, also sometimes simply called wheat gluten, refer to the same thing. Vital wheat gluten is the protein found in wheat. It’s what gives bread its shape and pizza dough its elasticity. Vital wheat gluten is just the protein in a powdered form. It is made by washing wheat flour dough with water until all the starches dissolve, leaving just the gluten behind. It is important to add in the 100% whole wheat bread to avoid heavy and hard bread, like a brick.

And don’t worry; there is no research to support gluten-free diets for anyone other than those affected by celiac disease. Some experts still claim following a gluten-free diet in the absence of celiac disease may actually be detrimental to health, as it can lack the nutrients needed to maintain a healthy, balanced diet*.

Rye Flour

Rye Flour can be used in combination with bread flour in the preparation of rye or pumpernickel bread. However, it cannot be used alone as it does not contain enough protein to develop adequate gluten for structure.

Special Note On Flour

How to make minor adjustments for dough: All flours are affected by growing conditions, milling, storage, humidity, etc. While not visibly different, you may need to make some minor adjustments when using different brands of flour as well as compensating for the humidity in your area.

Always store bread flour in an airtight container. Store whole grain flours, whole wheat, and rye, in a refrigerator to prevent them from becoming rancid.

Measure the amount of flour as directed in each recipe, but make any adjustments after the first 3 – 4 minutes of continuous kneading.

Sugar and Others Sweeteners

Sugar and others Sweeteners provide food for the yeast, add height and flavor to the bread and give the crust a golden color and lend tenderness to the texture.

Types of sweeteners that can be used include: sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup, corn syrup, and fruits, dried or fresh.

Do not use artificial sweeteners as a substitute for sugars and other natural sweeteners; artificial sweeteners turn bitter when subjected to baking temperatures, the yeast will not react properly, and poor results will be attained.

When measuring sticky sweeteners, such as honey, coat the measuring spoon with vegetable oil before measuring the sweetener. This will allow the sweetener to slide off the spoon without sticking.

Liquids

When liquids are mixed with the proteins in flour, gluten is formed. Gluten* is necessary for rising. Many recipes use dry milk, but other liquids, such as fruit juice, beer and water work, too.

It’s a delicate balance: A recipe with too much liquid may cause the bread to fall during baking while a recipe with too little liquid will not rise.

Milk

Milk enhances flavor and increases the nutritional value of bread. Any type of milk; dry, whole, 2%, 1%, skim, buttermilk or canned evaporated milk can be used in making bread. Refrigerated milk may be warmed to 80-90°F (27-32°C) however do notoverheat (above 100°F, 38°C) as this could affect the yeast activity.

Do not use regular milk when using the “Time Delay” function as regular milk can spoil when left at room temperature for several hours. Use dry milk and water as a substitute.

Buttermilk results in a light, high-rising and tender bread; it will also help extend the bread’s freshness. To offset the acidity of buttermilk, add 1/4 cup of baking soda per cup of buttermilk.

Water

Water is the most common liquid used in bread making. It produces a heavier, crisper crust and a more open texture.

Use lukewarm water, about 80-90°F (27-32°C). Do not use water above 100°F (38°C) as this could affect the yeast.

Fats – Butter, Margarine, Shortening, and Oils

Fat enriches bread’s flavor and keeps it tender and moist.

The same amount of vegetable shortening or oil can be substituted if you choose.

Butter and margarine are interchangeable in recipes. Salted or unsalted butter may be used. Margarine is an acceptable substitute for butter; do not use whipped or diet margarine or diet spreads as they will affect the quality. Soft spreads will NOT work.

Butter and margarine can be used right from the refrigerator. Cut cold butter or margarine into smaller pieces for faster blending during the knead cycle. Low-fat or fat-free bread can be made by substituting equal amounts of unsweetened applesauce or plain yogurt for the amount of fat recommended in the recipe.

Remember: Using less fat will affect the height, tenderness, and texture of the bread, which is normal.

Eggs

Eggs add color, richness, and leavening to bread. Use only large eggs. No premixing is needed.

Egg substitutes can be used in place of fresh eggs. One egg equals ¼ cup of egg substitute.

To reduce cholesterol, you can substitute two (2) egg whites for a large egg in the recipes without affecting the end result. Watch the dough during the knead cycle as some minor adjustment may be needed to get the dough to the right consistency.

Remember: due to health and safety precautions, do not use with the delay cycle.

Salt

Salt has several functions in making bread. It controls yeast growth while strengthening the gluten* structure to make the dough more elastic and also adds flavor.

However, it also inhibits rising, so use ordinary table salt and be very careful in measuring. Using too little or eliminating the salt will cause the dough to over-rise. Using too much can prevent the dough from rising as high as it should.

“Light” salt can be used as a substitute for ordinary table salt, providing it contains both potassium chloride and sodium. Use the same amount as recommended for table salt.

For dietary reasons, it can be omitted and, in some cases, you can use a vegetable seasoning substitute for flavor.

When adding salt to the bread pan, add to one corner to keep it away from the yeast, especially when using time delay as the salt can affect the yeast activity.

Yeast

Yeast is a living organism, when moistened by a liquid, fed by sugar and carefully warmed, yeast produces gases which cause the dough to rise. Yeast is actually a microscopic plant; without it, your bread will not rise.

Use Yeast (“Active dry”, “quick acting”, “rapid rise” or “bread machine”) in any bread machine on any cycle but use only the amount stated in the recipes. Using a little more can cause the dough to over-rise and bake into the top of the bread maker.

If you prefer to use “fast-rising” yeast, such as “quick rise” or “rapid rise”, merely decrease the amount used.

As a general guide, we recommend using:

For Active Dry Yeast – use 3/4 teaspoon of yeast for each cup of flour. Active dry yeast is not recommended for express bread, one-hour or less bread machine cycles.

A 7g (¼-ounce) envelope of yeast contains 2¼ teaspoons. Yeast can also be purchased in bulk so you can measure the exact amount needed. Once opened, keep refrigerated. Always make sure yeast is fresh and has not passed the “Use By” date.

Check the yeast activity

If you are unsure of the freshness of your yeast, you can test the freshness of your yeast before using:

Simply fill a cup with warm water, then add and stir in 2 tsp of sugar.

Sprinkle a few tsp of yeast on the surface of the water and wait.

After 15 minutes, the yeast should foam and there should be a distinct odor. If neither reaction happens, the yeast is old and should be thrown away.

If the temperature is too cold, the yeast will not be activated; if it’s too warm, it will die. Your Bread Maker takes care of this worry for you by maintaining just the right temperature in the baking chamber at all times.

Baking powder and baking soda may be used to assist yeast or on their own as leavening in quick bread which requires no kneading or rising. Recipes with baking powder and baking soda are different than yeast recipes. Leavening agents cannot be substituted for one another.

Do not use compressed yeast as poor results may be obtained.

Cinnamon and Garlic

Adding too much cinnamon or garlic can affect the texture and size of the loaf obtained. Use only the amount of cinnamon and garlic recommended in the recipe.

Cinnamon has a direct effect on the yeast activity and in large quantities, it will stop fermentation completely. It can break down the structure of the dough, affecting height and texture. Keep high percentages of cinnamon out of the dough itself and add it in the fillings where it can have only a limited effect on the yeast activity.

Too much garlic can inhibit the yeast activity.

Orange, lemon, or grapefruit peel or zest, as well as alcohol

Orange, lemon, or grapefruit peel or zest, as well as alcohol, will have a retarding effect. Too much will stop the yeast activity completely.

Tap Water x Bottled Water

Water softeners and chlorinated public water can sometimes kill the yeast needed to make your bread dough rise. If it happens use bottled water instead of tap water to make your bread.

* (“Long-term dietary intake of gluten was not associated with risk of coronary heart disease. However, the avoidance of gluten may result in reduced consumption of beneficial whole grains, which may affect cardiovascular risk. The promotion of gluten-free diets among people without celiac disease should not be encouraged.” Source: http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1892)

Content and images based on Sunbeam and Oster CKSBBR9050-033 Bread Maker User Manual Retrieved from http://pdfstream.manualsonline.com/4/4d6633cb-086c-4456-b7d7-5abde3447520.pdf

Once you make my recipes, I would love to see your creations, so please let me know! Leave a comment below, take a photo and tag it on your preferred Social Media with hashtag #Fast2eat.

All text and photographs on Fast2eat are copyright protected. You are welcome to share my recipes and photos through social media as long as you prominently link back to the original post. You do not need to ask my permission to link to content published here but you DO need my permission to publish my recipes and photos. Please do not use any material from this site without obtaining prior permission. If you’d like to post this recipe on your site, please link back to this post. And remember, when you adapt my recipe please acknowledge the source with “adapted from…” designating the source with the link of my recipe.

Thanks for reading and sharing.

Got a question and/or feedback?
Please leave a public comment here. That way, other readers will be able to see the answers to your question and/or will benefit from your feedback.
Scroll down and you will find the comment form. Comments are checked on a near-daily basis Monday through Friday and answered as soon as possible.
Please don’t email me with recipe questions or feedback. I can’t keep up with them! I look forward to hearing from you in the comments.

Disclosure: Fast2eat is an Amazon Affiliate, which simply means that if you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a very small commission at no additional cost to you! It will help me keep the blog operating with new Fast and easy recipes for you.

Everybody knows that I love to bake homemade bread from scratch. Using a bread machine it couldn’t be easier and it makes some fantastic bread! A bread machine combines convenience with flexibility. If you enjoy a fresh loaf of bread, but don’t have the time or space to bake from scratch, a bread machine is for you.

If you have never baked homemade bread before, and find the instructions a wee bit intimidating, I encourage you to try it. It may seem intimidating at first and the various steps do take a bit of time to learn, but overall, it is truly easy.

The simplest way to learn how to bake bread is to follow a basic recipe. Try Fast2eat Bread Recipes (much more to be published – keep checking), they are kind of foolproof 😉 really easy and the bread delicious.

Using a Bread Maker Tips and Hints

While bread machines offer freshly baked bread at the push of a button there are special hints to ensure quality bread almost every time.

Important Measuring Tips

Use Exact Measurements is THEmost important secret of making bread. To measure the ingredients precisely and accurately is the key to successfully baking bread. Although bread making seems very basic, it is a science and the proportions of ingredients are critical.

Read the following information to better understand the importance each ingredient plays in the bread making process.

For Liquids Ingredients

Fill a standard measuring spoon or measuring cup to the level indicated.

With wet ingredients, use ONLY measuring cups with the cups/ml/ounces marked clearly on the side. I.e. Measure the liquid ingredients in see-through measuring cups with accurate markings.

After filling the measuring cup, place it on a flat surface and view it at “Eye Level,” not at an angle, to make sure the amount of liquid is exact. Then, double check. All measurements must be accurate.

For Solid Fats Ingredients

Fill a standard measuring spoon or measuring cup to the level indicated and level off with a kitchen utensil.

For Dry Ingredients

Use a standard measuring spoon or measuring cup – not a tableware spoon or coffee cup.

With dry ingredients, always “level off” the measurement with the back of a knife or a spatula to make sure the measurement is exact. All ingredients measured in measuring spoons and cups must be level, not rounded or heaping.

Another helpful tip is to never use the cup to scoop the ingredients (for example, flour). Fill the measuring cup with a spoon before levelling off. By scooping, you could add up to one tablespoon of extra ingredients. This will compress the ingredients into the cup and cause the dough to be dry which will result in a short loaf of bread. Do not tap or shake the cup to put more flour into it.

Before you begin, make sure you have the following measuring equipment:

Liquid measuring cup

Dry measuring cups

Measuring spoons

Measurement Equivalency Chart

The following chart will help you convert measurements used in the recipes.

For example: 1/2 tablespoon = 1–1/2 teaspoons

Cups

Tablespoon(s)

Teaspoon(s)

1

16

48

7/8

14
(3/4 cup + 2 tbsp)

42

3/4

12

36

5/8

10
(1/2 cup + 2 tbsp)

30

1/2

8

24

3/8

6
(1/4 cup + 2 tbsp)

18

1/4

4

12

1/8

2

6

1

3

1/2

1 1/2

Do not exceed your bread machine’s capacity

Make sure that you do not exceed your bread machine’s capacity for a particular setting. If your bread pan overflows or the heating element makes contact with dough or jam, it can spoil the machine. Many bread machine manuals are available online.

For a 2lb bread machine do NOT exceed 4 1/2 cups dry ingredients.

Ingredients order

The SECOND most important secret of making bread:

Add ingredients into the bread pan in the exact order given in the recipe.

Read all recipes from top to bottom, and remember:

FIRST: liquid ingredients

SECOND: dry ingredients

LAST: yeast – Dig a shallow hole in the dry ingredients and place the yeast in the hole so that there’s absolutely no contact between the yeast and any liquids or salt. This is especially important when you’re using the Delay Bake option. You don’t want the yeast to be activated too soon in the process!

Note: This information is for the most Bread Makers, please carefully read your manufacturer’s directions and follow instructions for adding and layering ingredients.

Placement Counts

Fruits and nuts are added later, after the machine has completed the first knead.

Place dried fruits, vegetables, and dried spices away from the liquid ingredients in the bread pan. If they soak up water, they can undermine the bread’s chemistry.

Ingredients temperature

Also, to assure optimal yeast activity, make sure ingredients are at room temperature (that is, between 80-90°F / 27-32°C), unless otherwise noted. Temperatures too cool or too high can affect the way the bread rises and bakes.

Check the Doughball

This is a secret well known to people who make bread the old-fashioned way. While hand kneading the mixture, they adjust the consistency of the dough by adding a little flour or a little water until the dough ball is just right. Although the bread maker kneads the dough for you, this secret is still true.

Making changes to the dough is easy. This can be done during the knead cycle only. Do NOT turn off the bread maker to adjust dough.

Here’s what you should do:

Open the bread machine’s lid during the second kneading cycle and check the consistency of the doughball.

Dough is “just right” when it is smooth in appearance, soft to the touch, leaves a slight residue on your finger, and the bottom of the bread pan is clean of dough residue.

If the Doughball Is Wet

Touch the dough. If it feels a little sticky and there is a slight smear of dough under the knead blade, no adjustment is necessary.

If the dough is very sticky or wet, clinging to the sides of the pan, and is more like a pancake batter than a dough, sprinkle in flour, add one tablespoon of flour at a time, until the doughball appears smooth, round and dry, and circles nicely in the pan. Allow the flour to be mixed completely into the dough before making any more adjustments. Sprinkle a little more flour if needed. To prevent heat from escaping, open the cover of the bread maker only to add flour.

If the Doughball Is Too Dry

If the doughball appears stiff, flaky or dry, the bread maker appears to be labouring, or you hear your bread maker begin to make “knocking” sounds, the dough ball is too dry. To correct this problem, simply sprinkle in lukewarm water, a tsp at a time, until the doughball appears smooth, round and dry, and circles nicely in the pan. Be careful not to add too much water. Allow water to be completely mixed into the dough before making any additional adjustments and keep the lid closed to keep heat in the appliance.

For Baking at High Altitudes

If you live above 3000 feet, you probably already know how to adjust other recipes like cakes and muffins. Higher altitudes tend to:

make flour drier

make the dough rise faster

To compensate for high altitude baking, we recommend the following:

If the Dough Is Too Dry

Increase the amount of water to the recipe, sometimes as much as 2 – 4 Tbsp. per cup.

If the Bread Rises Too High

Reduced air pressure at high altitudes causes yeast gases to expand more rapidly and the dough to rise more quickly. The dough can rise so much that when it begins to bake, it will collapse due to overstretching of the gluten* structure.

To slow the rising of the dough:

reduce the amount of yeast. For each tsp of yeast, try reducing the yeast by 1/8 to 1/4 tsp at a time, until you find the right amount

reduce the amount of sugar. For each Tbsp of sugar, reduce the amount by 1 to 2 tsp at a time, until you find the right amount

You can also reduce the amount of liquid by a teaspoon or two at a time, until you find the right amount

Important: Some experimentation will be needed when using your breadmaker at high altitudes.

Just Wait Fifteen

For best results, wait fifteen minutes before slicing; the bread needs time to cool.

Storing – Keeping Your Bread Fresh

There are no preservatives in your homemade bread, so store cooled loaf in a lightly sealed plastic bag for up to 3 days. If desired, enclose a stalk of celery in the bag to keep bread fresh longer. Storing in the refrigerator causes bread to dry out faster.

Freezing

The dough can be frozen after the first growth, mold the balls and freeze them apart. Once frozen, place them in Ziploc bags. When thawing, follow the preparation steps after the first growth.

To freeze fresh bread, let it cool completely before bagging (double-bag in plastic) and freezing.

Take the bread out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge until it is no longer frozen (at least 6 hours or overnight for a loaf, and 2 to 3 hours for individual slices). Heat your oven to 380F (190C) and ‘refresh’ the bread for 3 to 5 minutes.

The dough lasts 6 months and baked 3 months.

Using the Delay Timer

You can delay the time your bread maker starts to have fresh bread ready when you get up in the morning or when you come from work.

We recommend that before you use the Delay Timer, you try out a few recipes. Use recipes that have produced good results for you in the past.

Important: You cannot use the Delay Timer for Express Bake settings (bread in under 1 hour).

Before using the Delay Timer:

Add all recipe ingredients to the bread pan.

Select the correct setting for the kind of bread you are making (French, Sweet, etc.).

Select the color.

Caution: Do not use recipes with ingredients that can spoil like eggs or milk.

To Set the Delay Timer:

Figure out how many hours and minutes there are between now and when you want final, baked bread. For example, if it is 8:00 A.M. and you want bread ready for dinner at 6:00 P.M., that is 10 hours.

Use the “Timer Up” button to advance the time in 10-minute increments. In our example, you will do this until the timer reads “10:00.” If necessary, use the “Timer Down” button to decrease the time. (To advance the time quickly, simply press and hold down the “Timer Up/Down” buttons.)
Important: If you make a mistake or wish to start over, press and hold down the “Start/Stop” button until you hear a beep. The display will show the original setting and cycle time. The Delay Timer is cancelled and you can start again.

When the Delay Timer is set where you want it, make sure to press the “Start/Stop” button. The colon ( : ) will flash to indicate that it is working and your bread will be ready when you planned.

Note: The delay hours and minutes will be added to the preprogrammed times for the specific program. The time indicated in the display is the time until the end of the cycle.

Important: When using the Delay Timer during times of hot weather, you may wish to reduce the liquid in your recipe by 1 or 2 tablespoons. This is to prevent the dough from rising too much. You may also reduce the salt by 1/8 or 1/4 teaspoon and try cutting the amount of sugar you use by 1/4 teaspoon at a time.

Freshness First with Delay Bake function

Caution: NEVER use the time delay function when using perishable ingredients such as milk, eggs, fruit, yogourt, cheese, etc.!

Use Fresh Ingredients

Always make sure the ingredients are fresh. The reasons are:

Flour – If you have stored your flour for a long time, it may have become wet from absorbing moisture, or dry, depending on the area of the country in which you live. We recommend using fresh bread flour.

Yeast – Fresh yeast is probably the most important ingredient in baking bread. If the yeast is not fresh, your bread may not rise. It is better to buy new yeast than to take a chance on yeast that has been stored for a long time.

If you are unsure of the freshness of your yeast, you can test the freshness of your yeast before using:

Simply fill a cup with warm water, then add and stir in 2 tsp of sugar.

Sprinkle a few tsp of yeast on the surface of the water and wait.

After 15 minutes, the yeast should foam and there should be a distinct odor. If neither reaction happens, the yeast is old and should be thrown away.

“Start/Stop” button

Important: Do not press “Stop” when making bread because this will cancel the entire cycle and you will need to start from scratch.

*(“Long-term dietary intake of gluten was not associated with risk of coronary heart disease. However, the avoidance of gluten may result in reduced consumption of beneficial whole grains, which may affect cardiovascular risk. The promotion of gluten-free diets among people without celiac disease should not be encouraged.” Source: http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1892)

Once you make my recipes, I would love to see your creations, so please let me know! Leave a comment below, take a photo and tag it on your preferred Social Media with hashtag #Fast2eat.

All text and photographs on Fast2eat are copyright protected. You are welcome to share my recipes and photos through social media as long as you prominently link back to the original post. You do not need to ask my permission to link to content published here but you DO need my permission to publish my recipes and photos. Please do not use any material from this site without obtaining prior permission. If you’d like to post this recipe on your site, please link back to this post. And remember, when you adapt my recipe please acknowledge the source with “adapted from…” designating the source with the link of my recipe.

Thanks for reading and sharing.

Got a question and/or feedback?
Please leave a public comment here. That way, other readers will be able to see the answers to your question and/or will benefit from your feedback.
Scroll down and you will find the comment form. Comments are checked on a near-daily basis Monday through Friday and answered as soon as possible.
Please don’t email me with recipe questions or feedback. I can’t keep up with them! I look forward to hearing from you in the comments.

Disclosure: Fast2eat is an Amazon Affiliate, which simply means that if you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a very small commission at no additional cost to you! It will help me keep the blog operating with new Fast and easy recipes for you.